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MMM Auto-Renew Frustration - Help Needed...

Let me start by saying that I've been a DTV customer for a long time... going on 8 years. For as long as I can remember, I've also been a NFL Sunday Ticket subscriber as well as a Super Fan subscriber since it's been around (to get the games in HD).

With that said, I have NEVER had a positive experience with NCAA sports and DirecTV. I am a Michigan State Alumni and fan. I now live in SoCal. Every chance I get, I follow my Spartans in both Football & Basketball. My prior poor experience usually have something to do with trying to order an individual game and my receiver not updating. After calling DTV and the combination of the actual phone call and hold times, I miss the first 15 minutes of the game.

Fast forward to this weekend. Friday, I realized our game was not going to be on the local CBS so I went out to Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3) to catch it with my fiancee. No big deal! This morning, I called DTV to find out if the local San Diego based CBS would have our game (thinking they would because they were playing the relatively local USC Trojans). DTV could not tell me what game was going to be carried.

I inquired about the channel and information about ordering the game via the internet. I asked about canceling the PPV game if it WAS shown on the local CBS station. I was told I had 10-15 minutes to cancel. I asked her to verify this and she put me on hold. She came back and told me I only had 5 minutes to cancel the PPV game. When I asked if this was 5 minutes from tip-off or 5 minutes from the start of the scheduled time, I was told it was from the scheduled time. I explained how games are normally delayed, etc. and was told that I would still only have 5 minutes to cancel it from the 2pm PST scheduled start time.

So fast forward to this afternoon. I get my computer logged-in to DTV's website so I can order the PPV game if I need to. I notice my March bill is higher then normal so I investigate. Wouldn't you know it. They auto-renewed MMM on my bill for $69. I called to complain and they wouldn't have any of it. I inquired about the fact that I never actively elected an auto-renew, instead they assumed I wanted it because it was passively elected. I was told there was a 'notice' on my January bill. I can't tell you the last time I received a bill. I just log onto the website and pay the bill (admittedly in hind sight stupid).

I honestly don't remember the last time I ordered MMM. I've worked retail management up until recently and can't remember a time where I would have been off to watch the opening two round of the tourney (they only point to getting MMM). When I inquired about my contract (because I had moved within the last year and used Mover's Advantage) I was put on a long hold and then told that my contract expires in July but I could break the contract for $25.

Is this really the way DTV has become? They'd rather let me cancel for $25 then save me as long-time customer that subscribes to NFL-ST??? Is this really an ethical practice of charging something to a customer's bill and being required to cancel it weeks before the bill is even due???

The icing on the cake is the fact that I wasn't even home for Friday's game and today's game was blacked out on MMM because it WAS on the local CBS. Other then that, I NEVER watched another game because I didn't even know I had it!!!

Sorry for the long post, but what suggestions do any of you have for me to handle this??? It seems ridiculous that I am force to pay $69 for something I didn't want and didn't use!!! Can't hey look into their system and see that I never tuned to those channels??? Any help would be appreciated. If it weren't for NFL-ST, I would have already cancelled today. The fiancee is pushing for it, but I'm not sure I can give up my football...

I am on autopay, and they sent me two emails AND a real US Mail paper letter to notify me that my Major League Baseball Extra Innings package was going to autorenew in one month, with 4 payments.

Do they have your correct Email and billing address? I get an Email every month about two weeks before they actually charge the money to my credit card, reminding me to check my bill. You should have gotten some kind of notification.

In any event, the autorenew saves people a lot of money from year to year, so I like it, and its been that way for as long as I can remember DirecTv offering sports packages.

The packages that autorenew are on every bill, all year long. NFLST is even on my bill every month saying "Will NOT autorenew" because I cancelled it two years ago.

Sorry for the loss of your $70, and it would be nice if DirecTv would cancel sports packages after they start, on a prorated basis, for the first few days, but they dont. Your only choice is accept their policy, or pay the $25 and change providers, or write a letter to their main office and see if you can get them to refund your money. Ive seen people successfully do that, if there was a valid reason.

You can remove a Sports package on your online account (any time) Before or after the season ends. Once the season Starts, your toast.

I don't think that's true. If you hit the "Remove" button online next to that sports subscription, it actually tells you to call them to remove. In the past it never did it online automatically. However, I haven't tried it in a while, so they might have changed it.